Report by Parking Manager to the Strategy and Resources Committee on 6 January 2025 (attached).

Council considered a report by the Parking Manager to the Strategy and Resources Committee on 6 January 2025 (circulated previously) regarding the North Devon Council (Off Street Parking Places) Order 2025.

The Director of Resources and Deputy Chief Executive presented the report to Council. He advised the following:

·       That a Car Parks Working Group had been formed and Councillors were selected by Group Leaders to sit on the Group.  The Working Group had met in September, October and November 2024 and had considered a range of data.  The options from the Working Group had been put forward to the Strategy and Resources Committee and Policy Development Committee.  The proposed changes to car park charges were still less than neighbouring authorities.

·       At the meeting of the Strategy and Resources Committee on 6 January 2025, Councillor Crabb had raised a query regarding the charges for Ropery Road car park in Ilfracombe.  He advised that Ilfracombe Town Council had further considered and approved the charges and had increased the Summer charges back to £1.50 per hour, Winter charges to £0.90 per hour, motorhome charges to £15 for 24 hour stay and weekly ticket charges increasing to £56 for the week.  He recommended that the off street parking order in relation to the Ropery Road car park be amended to reflect the changes approved by the Ilfracombe Town Council.

·       He referred to the amended North Devon (Off Street Parking Places) Order 2025 which had been published as a supplementary document with the Council agenda following consideration by the Strategy and Resources Committee on 6 January 2025.

(attached).

The Committee considered a report by the Car Parks Manager (circulated separately) regarding the Review of the North Devon Council (Off Street Parking Places) Order 2025.

The Director of Resources and Deputy Chief Executive advised that following the Strategy and Resources Committee held in July 2024, a Car Park Review Working Party, which included cross party members, had been established and three workshops were held in October, November and December to discuss and agree on a revised charging tariff for North Devon Car Parks.

He advised that the Cross Party Working Party had looked at a range of data around, permits, income levels per car park, payment methods – which varied from car park to car park, 30-minute usage compared to hourly and car park charges locally and in neighbouring authorities.

He highlighted the following points:

• The report detailed a summary of the requests made by Parish and Town Councils, which were detailed on pages 5 – 9 of the agenda.
• The proposed off street parking order and associated increase in charges was detailed in Appendix A of the report.
• A summary of proposed increases for North Devon Council owned carparks was detailed in Appendix B of the report.
• The increase in yearly permits was made by comparison with other authorities as follows:

Ø  In the Torridge District Council area, a yearly permit was £500 and in the Mid-Devon District Council area, a 12-month permit was in the region of £491.

• Charges for short stay and long stay car parks were reviewed together with coastal car parks.  For consistency, it was decided by the working group to increase charges by 10 pence per hour across all car parks.
• Looking at long stay car parks, the working group agreed that as the Seven Brethren long stay car park was further away than other long stay car parks to retain the current all day charge of £2.50. However, the decision was made to increase all other long stay, all day car park charges by a £1 to £3.50.
• The working group agreed that the Green Lanes car park charges needed to be brought into line with other Council owned car parks, as this car park was within North Devon Council ownership.
• The Working Group discussed the car parks in South Molton.  There were two car parks in South Molton the larger long stay central car park and the short stay car park across the road known as the Sheep Pen. 
• The short stay car park had historically had an element of long stay to it and was next to a privately owned car park at the George Arcade, which charged 50p per hour. 
• To ensure consistency across other areas, the working group were proposing to apply the short stay charges to the Sheep Pen car park.
• The proposals to increase charges by 10p per hour were still cheaper than those of neighbouring authorities.
• Torridge District Council currently charged £1.50 an hour in its towns and £1.70 an hour in coastal areas.  The  ...  view the full minutes text for item 59

Report by Parking Manager (attached).

The Committee considered a report by the Car Parks Manager (circulated previously) regarding North Devon Council (Off Street Parking Places) Order 2025.

The Lead Member for Commercialisation and Resources introduced the item.  The Car Park Review Working Party, which included cross party members, had attended three workshops to discuss and agree on a revised charging tariff for North Devon Car Parks.  There was a need to make a charge for users of the car parks the first being to avoid the car parks being completely full of residents and workers, there being no spaces available for visitors to the town and the second the revenue received helped towards the cost of maintenance of the car parks.

The Lead Member went on to explain that although the cost of permits seemed to be increasing substantially they were still good value.  The decision had been taken to freeze the annual permit cost of £225 at the new Seven Brethren car park to encourage use – the new car park was to open shortly.

The Director of Resources and Deputy Chief Executive highlighted the following:

·         The working party had met three times and looked at a range of data around, permits, income levels per car park, payment methods – which varied from car park to car park, 30-minute usage compared to hourly and car park charges locally and in neighbouring authorities.

·         The report sets out, in summary, the requests made by Parish and Town Councils, as seen on pages 157 – 161 of the agenda.

·         The proposed off street parking order and associated increase in charges was contained within Appendix A of the report.

·         A summary of proposed increases for North Devon Council owned carparks could be seen at Appendix B of the report.

·         The increase in yearly permits was made by comparison with other authorities.  In the Torridge District Council area, a yearly permit was £500 and in the Mid-Devon District Council area, a 12-month permit was in the region of £491.

·         Charges for short stay and long stay car parks was looked at as well as coastal car parks.  For consistency, it was decided by the working group to increase charges by 10 pence per hour across all car parks.

·         Looking at long stay car parks, the working group decided that as the Seven Brethren long stay car park was further away than other long stay car parks to retain the current all day charge of £2.50 but to increase all other long stay, all day car park charges by a £1 to £3.50.

·         The working group looked at the Green Lanes car park charges as this was now Council owned and needed to be brought into line with other Council owned car parks.

·         Car parks in South Molton were looked at.  There were two car parks in South Molton the larger long stay central car park and the short stay car park across the road known as the Sheep Pen. 

·         The short stay car park had historically had an  ...  view the full minutes text for item 99